


A Man of Many Masks

by sheaz



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheaz/pseuds/sheaz
Summary: i wrote this a long time ago (early 2019 which feels like 10 years ago) from kagamis perspective when hiruzen becomes hokage...yeahLittle character analysis I think would be realistic to the show I guess...sat in my email so I thought I might as well dump it here
Relationships: Kagami - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Viva La Vida

In the back of his mind he knew their sensei was going to die. His speech to them, his orders to Hiruzen in particular, the forced promises to not follow, and the amount of Kumo shinobi they’d seen over that crag made it abundantly clear what was going to occur. They’d watched him for awhile, he’d taken out hundreds in a few blinks. Even from the distance they were at Kagami could see the sprays of blood here and there. It had been surreal. Even with the sharingan it was near impossible to keep up with the Senju’s movements, and Kagami honestly didn’t want to. They all gasped when they watched a particularly desperate shinobi throw himself into the man’s kunai, knocking the white haired man off his dragon summon and onto the ground below where hundreds of enemy shinobi had swarmed. Kagami had closed his eyes. He had felt nauseous. Not quite sad. Or anything that he probably should’ve felt at that moment. Which caused guilt to tug at him.

“He’ll get up.” Hiruzen had said. “He told us to retreat. Let’s go.” He could tell the boy was trying to sound like a leader, but his voice was wavering pitifully. He nodded to the rest in assent, as if voting to confirm Hiruzen’s words. The boy had been fearless in his will to die a hero, but living as one was actually much harder, and he was going to have to get a hell of a lot firmer or more charismatic if he was going to succeed. Kagami kept those thoughts to himself though, ignoring the dull roar of the battle below, scuffing his shoe into the dirt. Eventually, they all turned away or looked elsewhere. Hiruzen repeated his order again, and they flitted back into the woods. Kagami kept his eyes trained downward most of the way.

After hours and hours of traveling, perhaps a day? The grey skies made the time difficult to gauge, but, they’d ended up huddled around a tiny fire. Close to home but not close enough. The weight of reality was crushing them. The weather was dreary and cold, as if someone above saw the war, the death, and was sympathetic. Kagami’s eyes flitted to Koharu, who was wailing in Homura’s arms. It was quiet minus her crying, and the fire crackling periodically. He exhaled and looked down, focusing on his battered hands.

Kagami had admittedly disliked the man. Well, that was not entirely true. He had been conflicted. He certainly had not liked him as much as his first. His own sensei had died only a year earlier, Hashirama Senju. Lord First had taught him many things, two cardinal lessons were to smile through pain, and to treat everyone with kindness. Hashirama had been an idealist. He saw the best in every single person he met. Though Kagami had a hard time seeing things the same way at times, when you were with Hashirama it was hard not to believe his ideals as well. Kagami smiled to himself. He missed him deeply still. He had never treated him like a Senju was supposed to treat an Uchiha. In fact in the year and a half he’d been under his mentorship Hashirama had treated Kagami more like a son then any of his fellow clansman had. He had been a man who Kagami had loved deeply, and despite his mother’s whispers of worry on him being reassigned to Tobirama, a man who was known to dislike the Uchiha, Kagami had been resolute it would be fine he and his teammates had been given to his brother. He had known of him. He was a serious and reserved man, fair and of slight build, with white hair and red eyes. He’d seen once or twice while training with his sensei. A stark contrast to his sensei, who was boisterous, and physically the complete opposite of the younger. He remembered the man’s eyes would train on him, sometimes for too long for Kagami to find comfortable, and then like clockwork Hashirama would always appear behind him, warm hand on his shoulder, or tousling his hair, and dismissing his brother with a laugh, something behind his eyes Kagami didn’t understand. 

Tobirama Senju wasn’t at all what he’d imagined he would be however. To say he was a bit stricter was a joke. The contrast to Hashirama and his younger brother had been so stark and jarring at first it was like getting constant whiplash. Hashirama had been kind, and trusted him implicitly, often inviting him into his own home, and Hashirama, ever oblivious or uncaring of the social doctrine, would come bounding into the compound often, speaking with the people there about their concerns, hopes and fears before coming to where Kagami stayed. Clan and village lines didn’t exist to him, and he had been everyone’s Kage. He embodied why people immigrated to the Leaf. Also, even with his responsibilities as a Kage, the man always found a way to be present in Kagami’s personal life too, not just for training, but for everything. 

He scrutinized his hand. He had a new jagged cut between his middle and index finger, and he could see spec’s of dirt in it. He cringed, lip curling. He ran his finger along it, flicking them out. The last thing he wanted was an infection. He didn’t look up, he could feel a certain comrade’s eyes burning into his head, eyes he didn’t want to meet. He had learned a long time ago on missions like this it was best to keep your head down. He rummaged through his small bag, looking for disinfectant, if he had any left.

In contrast to Hashirama, when he had first met Tobirama as his sensei, the man had strode up to him and had lifted him up by his collar. Kagami had struggled, a natural reaction, for the man’s face was far too close to Kagami’s as he pressed their foreheads together, before asking him, quietly, if he believed in the will of fire. Kagami hadn’t answered, instead bringing his hands to his collar in a weak attempt to have Tobirama loosen his grip. The man had slammed him against the wall behind him. A sick crack resounding through the training grounds. The pain from the back of his head was immediate, but the pain of humiliation was worse. Still, he knew better then to actually fight. He didn’t want to be seen a certain way. Even through the haze of pain and terror his brain screamed to keep it together. He remembered his face burning as he looked to his squadmates, wordlessly begging for help. His friends looked on and said nothing, as if they too had secretly always questioned him. Danzo had been smiling. Tobirama had grabbed his jaw and turned him forwards, hissing for the boy to look at him, not them. The man’s breathe coming out in hot puffs of air on his face, making Kagami want to squeeze his eyes shut but not daring. His heart had been beating rapidly as he looked into the man’s glowering red eyes. The man had shook him again, his grip tightening, choking him. “Well?” The white haired man’s stare was so intense, it felt like he could see something within that Kagami could not, and it disgusted him. That scared Kagami.

“I do,” Kagami had finally managed, weakly.

“You do?” Tobirama had simpered back, in the same weak tone, his grip on his collar becoming a chokehold and slamming him violently backwards once more. 

“You better prove it.” 

He still remembered standing up to train without complaint, dizzy, and the feeling of the sticky hot blood clumped in hair. His hand ran through his curls, a subconscious reaction to a phantom pain. 

That had been the first time, but certainly not the last. Tobirama was particularly hard on him. Such behavior was frequent. Tobirama insisted they were to make him stronger, but he was never nearly as cruel to the others as he was to him. Kagami had lost count of how many “training sessions” he’d gone home from, bruised and bleeding. He’d lost count of how many times Tobirama had harmed him severely, eyes slightly unfocused, calling him by names he didn’t know, or had only heard whispered within clan meetings. 

As much as it hurt, physically and emotionally, the teen didn’t dare create turmoil in the clan, already spooked by the prospect of Tobirama being the Hokage. They watched Kagami carefully, his relationship to the second Hokage well known. So, he had learned to have a smile and lie always waiting for his clan. At meetings, in casual conversation, in all aspects of life. He smoothed their fear over, a dislocated wrist or a broken nose was a small price to pay for stability between the village and the clan, always precariously hanging in the balance. If he had to hurt keep that balance, so be it. As long as it was him, and no one else, he’d do it happily. 

Still, it had hurt him deeply feeling a rift grow between him and his comrades while their time under their new sensei’s tutelage had continued. He saw how they looked at him. In time they didn’t even try to hide it. While pulling out the disinfectant and pouring and small amount on the wound, he looked up to meet Danzo’s cold gaze. He smiled cordially.

Danzo was on his genin team initially with Hashirama. He had watched his sensei try and fail with the temperamental boy. Hashirama had brought him to the side once, telling him the boy was not from a clan, and he had lost his father to the Uchiha during before coming to the village, and that his animosity was from old wounds, and would fade. So, he tried too, but Danzo really lost all progress Hashirama had made under Tobirama’s wing. He had gone from being strange and withdrawn around Kagami, to openly cruel. Kagami balled his hand into a fist, watching the disinfectant bubble white and ignoring the cut’s screaming protests. He didn’t understand the other boy. They all had lost people, that was what the village was about, moving past it and creating lasting peace. That was Hashirama’s vision, that they could all live in harmony. Kagami had hoped one day the boy would reciprocate, and he had always been kind to him, had saved his life in fact, that scar on his chin would’ve been his neck if it wasn’t for Kagami. However, his hope in such a relationship had long fizzled out.

“Did you record it?” Danzo said suddenly. Sharply. All of them looked towards Kagami. He looked up, confused. “When he fell.” Koharu sniffled. Hiruzen’s face hardened.

The sharingan. Kagami looked back towards his sack, stuffing the small bottle back inside. “We’re at war, and we’re retreating. I just didn’t want anything to sneak up on us,” he tried to sound disarming as possible, smiling measuredly. He was admittedly well practiced, and he hoped his reassurances would remove the oppressive air of animosity that had suddenly appeared, hanging over them like a poisonous mist. He had learned to say anything to subdue them over the years. He tried to not to think about the bitter voice tugging at him, hissing about how unfair their distrust of him actually was.

“So you did.” He could feel the well rehearsed smile on his face fading, weighted down by the accusation. He glanced around at their faces, their lack of sympathy apparent. “I can’t help it.” He said finally, lowering his gaze again. If being placating wasn’t working, he wasn’t above playing for pity if it meant the conflict being resolved.

Danzo snorted, venom dripping from his lips. “Bet you he watches it over and over, they enjoy it.” Kagami’s jaw tightened. “They” did not enjoy it. Well. He didn’t. He was sure his mother didn’t either, who sometimes, while cooking dinner, or folding clothes, would suddenly burst into tears, inconsolable. His father had passed years ago, but he remembered times as child he would stare into nothing. Sometimes for hours. He hadn’t seemed to enjoy it either. There was nothing enjoyable about remembering an injury or a death. Not a friends, not a strangers. Not anyone. How often his mind would shuffle them back up to the surface, crystal clear thanks to the sharingan, making it impossible to sleep, or to even breathe properly. 

“I cared about him too,” He finally muttered, twisting the hem of his dark shirt, his tone sharper then intended. It was true though. Complicated, but true. Kagami, despite his dislike for the man, had cared about him. Thinking about Tobirama made a coil of confusion furl deep inside him. There were times, despite how cruel he could be, the man had been kind to him. He had saved his life more times then he could count, tended to his injuries without fail and he remembered a time towards the end, Tobirama had taken him, just him, for tea. 

Tobirama had actually walked into the clan’s compound and asked around for him. He had never done such a thing before. He remembered his sensei’s stiff movements and impassive face as they walked along side by side, his clan members openly gaping and glaring at the Kage. It was a strange, twilight zone mimicry of the days when his elder brother had come to pick up Kagami. Tobirama had said nothing while Kagami chattered nervously, trying to create a semblance of normal, during the very abnormal situation. His sensei on the other hand had not spoken, jaw set and meeting every gaze with one just as dark, just as vicious, maybe more. 

When they had gotten out of clan boundaries it had been a huge relief to Kagami. Seemingly it was to his sensei too, for the man stepped ahead of him, wordlessly leading him to a tiny tea shop. After they were about 10 minutes from the compound, Tobirama suddenly spoke, making small talk about his progress as shinobi. Kagami tried to listen diligently to him through the whole strange journey before they had ended up sitting at a dimly lit counter at dusk, alone minus an elderly cook busting himself behind the counter. Suddenly Tobirama had leaned onto the counter, as if to shield himself from the child’s face.

“Hashirama believed in you.” 

He said it gruffly, looking forward, clutching his tea tight in his hands, not looking at the boy. Kagami had smiled brightly at Tobirama’s hidden profile, nodding, hoping his nervousness was not seeping through, as he was never quite sure what to say around his sensei. 

“I know I’m hard on you, but I believe in you too.” 

He continued, shifting towards the boy suddenly. Yet he had looked just past him, down the dimly counter towards the empty seats beyond him. “You’re not like any Uchiha I’ve met before.” He coughed. “You’re a fine young man.” Kagami never knew how to respond to these compliments. It made him feel good, but they also made him feel strange. His sensei disliked his own, it was no secret, yet Tobirama did not hate him. Did that make things better? Did their relationship change things? He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be relieved, angry, grateful or ashamed. Sometimes he felt all at once. He watched his sensei out of the corner of his eye. The way he turned stiffly and mechanically sipped his tea. His posture was incredibly straight, and every small movement he made seemed forced, a weapon forced to mimic a man. Kagami was jolted for his thoughts when his sensei suddenly offered to order the boy dango, eyes trained once again on his tea cup. Hashirama used to do the same, and it caused a dull ache to pulse through him. Still, he grinned at his mentor, never one to refuse such an offer. As he ate, he wondered if he took his other students to places like this, what he said to Hiruzen and the others when he spoke to him one on one. Danzo in particular, was very close to Tobirama. He was certain he’d seen them walk home from training together more then once, and he’d seen the two serious men laugh together. He’d never made either of them laugh. He wondered if they talked about him. He wondered if he was the joke. 

He looked at his sensei again, who was now ordering the elderly cook to “heat his cup” as the tea was getting “too cold too fast.” He snorted, watching the two older men argue, and forcing such darker thoughts away. Tobirama was here with him now. So he obviously cared for him too, in his own way. He thought about Hashirama, and his philosophy, before breaking into a cheerful smile and thanking the man beside him for the food, with a light slap to his shoulder. He bursted out laughing when the Senju practically jumped out of his chair. The cook did too. 

This seemed to break the awkwardness of the affair a bit. “I’ve learned a lot from you,” he continued. It hadn’t been a lie. He had learned a lot of jutsu, and a lot about the world from Tobirama. He didn’t understand him, sometimes he hated him, but that much was true. Tobirama had nodded stiffly, and then had looked the boy over, his red eyes landing on a space just above him head. He then grunted out an acknowledgment. 

“You have the will of fire.” 

Kagami tried not to choke on the food he was chewing. He had been prepared for all sorts of responses, his sensei was a man who could change moods quickly, but he still attempted to outline the direction of the conversation in his head, lest things go south very quickly. He had not expected this however. Not in a million years or a million scenarios. He had learned long ago any compliment Tobirama gave him was to be taken hesitantly, as it likely was meant as a mockery but, somehow he knew this one was real. He couldn’t help but feel warmth radiate through him at that moment. He knew he might be a fool, but it felt overwhelming to hear such a thing from the man who had once beat him for even saying he could be part of such a thing. It was a rare moment that he cherished, though it just as often caused him to lay on his bed, weighing good moments like that with the bad, forever unsure of how the man really felt about him.

Danzo’s feelings however, were crystal clear.

Kagami could see the teen across from him was shaking with malevolence. “Don’t you lie you....you rat!” Danzo roared. The rage in his voice was palpable. He was stomping towards Kagami, kunai glinting in his hand.

“Hey Danzo, enough!” Hiruzen called. He didn’t move to stop him however. None of them did. In a moment he was on him. 

Danzo tackled him, kunai whipping this way and that. “Your people wanted Lord Second dead!” He growled, spit flying and and hatred in his eyes, it was apparent he truly was trying to get an opening. To hurt him. To kill him. He activated the sharingan and that seemed to somehow double Danzo’s strength and rage. Kagami grunted in the effort of keeping the other boy from bringing the kunai down on him. “You all deserve to die!” He was screaming, his vitriol loud in Kagami’s ears, and his spit all over his face. When he realized no one was going to intervene yet again, he tightly gripped Danzo’s arms with his own, digging his nails in enough to draw blood. Danzo’s face contorted in pain, and his eyes snapped downwards to glare at his supposed comrade. “You’re all just like Madara!” he spat the last word like a curse. Kagami didn’t reply. He had what he needed. He had not wanted to put him under a genjutsu, but he didn’t want to physically hurt the boy out in the wilderness either. Danzo went limp on top of him. 

“Ugh,” he shoved the other boy off of him, not able to hide his irritation and disgust. The boy landed on his back with a dull thud, head lolling. He could deal with a lot of things, he prided himself on it, but being attacked was a hard line. “So what was that?” He said, whipping around to look at the silent audience, smiling bitterly. Hiruzen was looking downwards, shame apparent on his face. Kagami brushed himself off and wiped his face with his sleeve, wet from the other boy’s spit. On the ground beside him the dark-haired boy moaned. 

“What did he do to him?” A horrified whisper from Koharu.

“Genjutsu.” Homura replied to her, disgust apparent in his tone. 

“He was trying to kill me!” Kagami could hear his voice raising, the anger dripping into his voice he worked so hard to keep out. It felt like an out of body experience, all the bitterness and hurt leaking out and overriding his thoughts. Hurt from never being treated like a full Konoha shinobi, bitterness and anger from carrying burdens that weren’t his own. He tried to imagine what Hashirama would do, what Hashirama had told him to be, but images of Danzo coming down on him with a Kunai, his black eyes full of hatred, kept superseding the image. 

Another groan of pain from the boy below. His eyes were glazed over, distant and unfocused. 

“Fix it!” Koharu’s shrill voice demanded, laced with terror. Kagami crossed his arms. How many times had he suffered and they done nothing? How many times had their sensei harmed him far beyond what could’ve been considered training right in front of them and they had again done nothing?

He touched his nose, crooked, an older gift from his sensei. “He should be able to release himself. He’s a chunin.” he retorted, rubbing his shoulder and stalking away from the body. 

“Kagami. Release him.” 

Hiruzen was speaking with such a firmness it shocked him. He knew him and Danzo were close, but Hiruzen was never very good at giving orders. A good shinobi for sure, even a great one, but a leader? No. Not to Kagami anyway. Perhaps Tobirama’s words had had influence after all. 

“I am the leader Tobirama chose, and I demand you release him.” 

“He is!” Koharu chirped in agreement, Homura nodding solemnly behind her.

Kagami shifted, sizing up the teenagers in front of him. That was what Tobirama said wasn’t it? Before he left to his death, he had declared Hiruzen the third Hokage. All of them here would vouch for it. That had been Tobirama’s choice, a sixteen year old would be the Third Hokage. Something about that fact made a chill run down his spine. 

“What will you do, when we get back to village if I release him?” He said softly. “What do you mean?” Hiruzen said, sounding genuinely confused. 

“He attacked me.” He looked to where Danzo was splayed out. “And has wanted to for a long time,” he added silently.

“Well I’ll handle it!” Hiruzen said, defensively. The Sarutobi shifted his weight from one foot to the other, regarding him the same way one might a wild animal. “He’s mourning you know. He never would have done this if it wasn’t for...” He turned back towards the wood behind them, hiding somewhere in it’s treeline a rock face, below that valley, where hundreds, maybe thousands of bodies lay. One likely Tobirama’s. “So we try to kill our friends when we’re upset?” Kagami countered bitterly, hugging himself tighter. He was sick and tired of the way he was treated. He had thought Tobirama saying he had the will of fire would change things, but perhaps that had been him being naive, caught up in the euphoria of finally winning his sensei over. He had known even at the moment deep down it meant nothing, but it still was like a slap in the face. He massaged his left shoulder, which had taken the brunt of Danzo throwing himself. 

A particularly sharp gasp of pain came from the boy below. Kagami frowned. He watched the boy twitch and shake on the ground, a bit of drool leaking out the side of his mouth. Even if the boy hated him, he hated seeing other people in pain, especially pain he caused. He hated genjutsu too, coming up with an idea to incapacitate someone was not hard, neither was projecting it, but being under one was a lot different then casting one. He attempted to avoid using it almost as a rule, despite his natural giftedness towards it, since every single one he’d been under had found his way into his nightmares. 

“If he ever does something like this again, I’ll punish him.” Hiruzen finally continued, an attempt at sounding diplomatic he was sure, but the kid’s voice cracked. Kagami sighed. He glanced at the other two ninja. They looked afraid. Of him. Not the boy who tried to kill him. “He’s right. They see Madara,” His internal voice said this often, but, it rang triumphant today. A picture of the cofounder of the village was conjured up, stories of the madness in his eyes and how he spoke of the destruction he was going to rain down. Kagami barely remembered him, and within the clan they were not supposed to speak of him, but his mother had lived through it, and told him stories in hushed tones. They were stories Kagami was unsure he’d ever repeat. 

He exhaled, kneeling over the dark haired man and released him. The surge of power leaving his hand feeling too warm. Immediately, he jolted up, screaming. Kagami held him in place as he got his bearings, trying to be mindful of the crescent moon marks he left on his arms previously. Hiruzen ran over, almost bowling Kagami over in the movement, snapping and trying to get his friend’s eyes to focus. “You’re alright, yeah?” Hiruzen voice sounded strained in his ears. Kagami could feel himself gripping too tight as he held his squirming peer. Eventually Danzo came to, tears in his eyes. Kagami let go of the other boy abruptly, leaving him to Hiruzen.

Kagami was not a particularly vindictive person, in fact he did not consider himself that at all. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied in the result. He walked over to Koharu and Homura, ignoring how they shrunk backwards as he sat beside them. A barely detectable movement, but noticeable to him nonetheless.

“You fucking bastard.” 

Came hoarsely from the man Hiruzen was helping up. “You attacked him.” Hiruzen choked out to the teen he was supporting, a weak attempt at neutrality. Danzo glared daggers into the boy sitting beside Koharu and Homura. 

“Don’t you dare think I’ll ever forget this Uchiha.”

Kagami didn’t respond. He was trying to taper his anger and satisfaction and everything else into nothing. He was not going to be that man. He pressed his shoulder once more and cleared his throat.

“We need to get going.” 

Koharu turned her head to glare at him, hands balled and shaking. “Who said you get to decide? After what you did?” Kagami laughed quietly and shrugged. “It was a only a suggestion.” 

Koharu snapped her gaze back to where the two teen’s standing. “What should we do Hiruzen?” She said, putting emphasis on the Sarutobi’s name. “Ah.” Hiruzen shifted, eyes knitted together in thought. Kagami shifted back to hugging himself. During the skirmish the temperature had dropped significantly. 

“We have to retreat. Like sensei said.” Danzo, forced out, his voice returning to him. Hiruzen nodded at his friend’s suggestion. Kagami couldn’t help but roll his eyes, but he didn’t point out the obvious. They all stood up, Homura and Koharu side by side, and Hiruzen supporting Danzo’s weight. Kagami stood a ways away from both groups, when Anbu appeared in front of them. 

The Anbu was their sensei’s creation. A secret police of sorts, to protect people in cases of great danger. On paper anyway. Kagami’s opinion of them was poor, he’d seen them on the battlefield, and they were particularly ruthless, often unnecessarily so, even for shinobi. 

They were three. A female and two males. The man closest to him was thin, but his height and aura made him an oppressive presence, towering over Kagami. His mask was that of a boar, with intricate ivory tusks sticking out. He didn’t speak to any of them at first, letting out a wave of insects from his long loose sleeve. Kagami’s stomach turned. He’d never been particularly fond of the Aburame clan’s techniques. He was completely still in front of them, and the other two behind him the same, as the cloud of beatles dissipated, the sound of buzzing surrounded them at all sides. 

After a few moments, some insects returned, and his mask suddenly tilted downwards, as if seeing him and the others for the first time. “The war is over. The Second Hokage has perished. We are here to escort the Third to Konoha.” His voice was strange, as if many people were speaking as one. They all shifted uncomfortably. Except Danzo, who stared at the three with a deep fascination he’d never seen on the man’s face before. 

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The war was over. They had won. He looked at the others, breaking out into a huge smile, despite himself, the first real one of the night.

“The war is over?” He questioned to the air, exhaustion and joy in his voice. It was worth it, all of it, this whole Hellish night, if it was over. His hands were shaking, no longer from the cold and he ran them through his dark curls over and over, trying to keep himself from bursting into laughter, or tears, or both.

“And I’m the Hokage.” Hiruzen said, suddenly, shakily, looking as though for the first time those words were sinking in.

“—But Lord Tobirama is dead.” Danzo hissed from his side.

“It becomes our job to keep his will alive,” Homura spoke solemnly. Koharu nodded.

“To keep the will of fire alive,” He corrected, his own words ringing false to him. Yet Hiruzen nodded furiously.

Kagami And Danzo’s eye’s met. The man sneered at him, Before turning his face upwards, seemingly addressing the air. “I will keep your will alive Lord Second! I promise you!” He said it with such mad rapture Kagami almost expected their late sensei to respond. Instead it was just the frigid air through the trees, the fire and the underlying sound of buzzing insects from their Anbu friend. 

“We must delay no longer.” The man in the boar mask boomed. 

“Right. Right!” Hiruzen murmured first to himself, then louder to the group, and they all disappeared into the treeline. With the frigid wind whipping through his hair and biting his face Kagami let his mind wander to the future, to a time when this war and this night would be a distant memory. Things would be different now, he thought glancing at the back of Hiruzen’s head. Maybe things would be better. 

The Third was surrounded by the Anbu, the two males at his left and right side. The man with the boar mask was now carrying Danzo on his back. They seemed to be conversing. Danzo had looked back at Kagami once or twice but he pointedly ignored it. Koharu and Homura were close behind the three, with the female Anbu member taking up the rear. The three members were in a protective triangular formation he’d seen his sensei draw up before while strategizing. “The one in the back has the hardest job, because the two up front protect their respective side of the escort, left or right depending. As well as their half of the front, but the one taking up the rear has to be capable of covering the entire 180 degrees of the back.” Tobirama’s droning sounded boring even from memory, but the triangle only worked decently if the one in the truly could see that much at once. “Perhaps a Hyuga,” he mused, hopping beside the masked women and flashing her a smile. He’d seen the female turn around more then once, subtlety, making him feel he was holding everyone up, or she had a message to relay...or he was just being watched. “All exciting possibilities!” he thought to himself sarcastically.

“Stay out of the formation.” 

He looked to see a visage of a death mask staring him down. In contrast to the dramatic Noh mask, her presence seemed nonexistent, her figure was small and slight and her voice sounded the same as rustling leafs, catching through them and whistling away as if it never existed.

“Any reason why?” He tried to continue conversationally, but this was hard to do when you couldn’t catch intent on either expression or tone.

“I already set up a barrier. You’re outside it.” 

He nodded, stopping a moment and watching a significant distance grow between him and the others. She didn’t turn around again.


	2. The King's Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love boring politics I love watching madame secretary and I love shit like this snnsmans

When they reached the wall’s of the leaf it was late in the evening, the new moon making it even darker then usual. 

“Go to the Hokage’s office. They are waiting. They will swear you in. The public ceremony will be tomorrow.” With that the man and his subordinates disappeared from sight, but Kagami knew they weren’t far. They’d never be far from Hiruzen again. Another strange tingle ran through him at the thought. 

With them gone, it was silent, sans the sound of cicadas, the village asleep. “Do you think people know yet?” Hiruzen questioned, fear and anticipation lacing his tone. Danzo wavered on his own feet. Again Hiruzen stepped to support him. 

“I’ll take him.” Kagami said, reaching out his arm good-naturedly, “You don’t want to walk in there looking like siamese twins at such an important ceremony.” His eyes slid onto the other boy. “And you’ll get another crack at me huh?” Danzo looked as if he might try exactly that, seemingly unmoved by Kagami’s attempt at bringing out the olive branch. Instead he spit. In his direction. 

“Don’t you dare fucking touch me,” he hissed, gesturing for Hiruzen to come to his side. Hiruzen smiled helplessly at Kagami, slinging his shoulder over the other boy. Just as Kagami was going to give a particularly scathing retort a woman’s voice came splitting through the night air.

“Hiruzen!” Biwako. She was a Sarutobi like Hiruzen. They’d all attended the academy together. She was of some relation to the new Hokage he knew at least, and she’d been attached to his arm for as long as Kagami could remember. She was a serious young woman and, whenever she’d spoken to Kagami as children, long before he had the sharingan she’d keep her eyes trained on the ground. A childish technique he knew someone must have taught her when dealing with Uchiha. She had her own story about Madara, he had heard on the playground and down the academy halls, how Hashirama had saved her from the disgraced clanhead when she was a very young girl. It didn’t seem like a lie, like some fear-mongering stories about the Uchiha were. It didn’t make it any less dangerous however, for people like him. He could tell she genuinely deeply feared the Uchiha, and she was another worrying voice in Hiruzen’s ear. 

The young woman looked as if she’d been waiting all night, darkened circles under her eyes, she didn’t address anyone else but her kinsman. He wasn’t even sure if she saw them. He looked away, swallowing any forced pleasantries, for he knew they would be a waste on the girl.

“They said the battle was bad, but no reinforcements were to be given.” Her voice wavered. 

“We didn’t know if you’d even come back alive”

Hiruzen stood up straighter. Well, as straight as he could given the weight pulling at his side.

“Go home Biwako. I- We all have business to attend to” He said seriously. The girl visibly deflated. “Tell the clan a Sarutobi is Hokage.” She froze, before her a small smile breaking out on her face. He couldn’t imagine being the first clan beside the Senju to have a Kage, how politically powerful that would be. He hushed the voice hissing it should be they, despite knowing it was true. He couldn’t allow himself to dwell on such bitter thoughts in the face of unchangeable facts. Hiruzen had volunteered to throw away his life, not him. He hadn’t been willing to die for his sensei, and while he felt such a thing was reasonable given their relationship, Hiruzen had been, and things were still going to change now. The Uchiha would have a voice again, even if he had to be the sole agent of it. Hiruzen becoming Hokage was a good thing for all of them, he reminded himself. They all watched silently as the girl turned on her heel, bolting towards the Sarutobi clan’s compound, before continuing towards the Kage offices.

When they arrived it was quiet as a tomb, and many men, mostly whom he did not recognize surrounded them. They were all old, much older then them, with weathered faces and tired eyes. One, however, was wearing a uniform that was immediately recognizable. He was a proxy for the daimyo, the wealthiest and most powerful man in the land of fire. Him and his family paid the Kage and all beneath him for their military, and their single family kept the entire land of fire running, not just their village but the Uzumaki’s village hidden in the whirlpools, the village hidden in the hot springs, and any other countries in the land of fire. Hiruzen looked lost among them, young and inexperienced. He went to touch his shoulder, a supportive gesture, but Danzo turned and scowled before he could. He made eye contact with a group of these men and they looked at him with particularly intense animosity. He felt adrenaline pumping through him as they walked down deeper into the room, forcing him to actively suppress his sharingan from activating. He swallowed nervously, his peer’s beside him had never been great friends, but for once they were united, standing closer together. He felt Koharu’s bony shoulder press into his chest, and he smiled sympathetically. She could only manage half the usual intensity in her scowl. He hated how they all seemed unsure of themselves, small, too young, but he couldn’t bring himself to find the right words to speak to these men. Why had sensei chosen them? Did he really think they could handle this? It felt like walking into a lion’s den. Also all the lion’s were really rich. Or were wearing the prettiest robes Kagami had ever scene. That was until he saw a familiar face gliding over to him.

“Kagami, how are you?” It had been the first time of the night he wasn’t being glared at, and he fought the urge to hide behind the woman like a child. “I’m well my lady” He squeezed her hand, perhaps a bit too hard. Everything about Mito seemed elegant. He had long ago realized a large chunk of her public personality was performance, after spending many nights with Hashirama and his wife at home. He knew she was truly a very outspoken opinionated woman, he remembered too many nights at the First’s house where glasses had broke from their animated gestures or their laughter spilling well into the streets as he walked home. In public she couldn’t have been more the opposite. Yet she made it seem magical, every practiced facial expression and movement was graceful, like lying could somehow be an art form. She squeezed his hand, and he wondered how a shinobi kept their hands so soft, suddenly self-conscious of his callouses and the new ugly scar running between his fingers. Their eyes met and she squeezed his hand once more, conveying her sympathies before she let out a reverberating musical laugh, meant to bring the room’s attention to her. It certainly did, and he tried not to shrink under the gaze of men with such influence. 

“No need for such formality dear, I haven’t the been lady of the leaf since Lord First passed, and among the Uzumaki I’m probably about 65th in line from being a princess,” She giggled “I’m merely a hostess tonight,” 

She finished her spiel and looked around warmly, he could tell from her tone it was meant more for the room then him. She then released him, sliding through the room like a ghost, shaking hands and smiling fondly at each one, she knew the men’s names and their wives names and their children’s names too. This was what they were going to have to do. He thought of activating the sharingan, but detected cloaked chakra signatures on the perimeter, and decided against it. As nice as it would be to have a head-start on rubbing shoulders with these men, it would be embarrassing to have Anbu tackle and restrain him at his first meeting, and who knew what kind of specifics Tobirama put on a sharingan activating in his office. She gestured for the five of them to go into a room separate from the men. The daimyo’s proxy followed as well, graceless, the thoughtless movements of a non-shinobi.

As they walked he could hear his teammate’s whispering. “She’s the 9-tails jinchuriki,” Homura whispered, sounding somewhere between reverent and fearful. “from the Uzumaki clan.” He watched Koharu’s eyes narrow, for once not at him. The Uzumaki were allies to the leaf, but had chosen not to unite under their leadership. Yet they were tactical, seeing the writing on the wall as more and more clan’s and individuals put aside their differences and immigrated to villages, honestly to protect themselves against the power of the leaf and the other great nations. They had given the leaf a vessel to hold their Bijuu, one of the Uzumaki’s kekkei genkei was possessing much more then the average human’s chakra reserves and their healing rates were much faster, and therefore could survive the traumatic process of becoming a jinchuriki at a much higher rate then the average person. This was in exchange for the Leaf’s continued allyship and protection in case their village was ever attacked. That was Mito. A living breathing compromise. He felt a kinship to that. He turned around and glared at them, but if the older woman had heard anything, she didn’t let on. She smiled pleasantly as she gently ushered them to all sit, before gathering her dress and placing herself beside him. 

“I had hoped it would be you,” she murmured, looking forwards and at a volume he could have mistaken as imaginary. “I knew it wouldn’t be, I knew he’d never choose you, but when Tobirama told me that...” She paused, shaking her head slightly, a trace of exasperation on her face, the seals she wore twisting from left to right. “scheme. I thought maybe...” She sighed. “Maybe he’d put his prejudices aside...” 

“It should be you!” He hissed back, probably a bit too passionately. He knew she knew the ins and outs of the job more then anyone currently alive in the village, and, when it came to the benefit of his own clan, she knew what it was like to be an outsider. Besides, at the end of the day, they were just kids. Though he supposed he couldn’t think that way anymore. His childhood had been over long ago, but this was a weight that made him feel decades older then sixteen. She smiled at him, looking more resigned then anything else.

“You’re smart enough to know that’s simply not in the cards for me.” She looked towards the window for a moment. 

“When they see me. They see the bijuu, and they’re afraid.” 

He nodded jerkily, swallowing every frustrated response. He felt kinship to that too. She elbowed him suddenly, the graceful hostess gone for a moment and the Uzumaki he knew personally shining through. “Smile.” She hissed. He forced himself upright, mimicking her actions. Though he was certain his seemed more forced. 

“So...” The proxy drawled, disinterest apparent in his tone. “Tobirama chose one of his students to be his successor. Which one of you is it?” 

Hiruzen’s newfound confidence seemed to dwindle at the conference table. “Uh. It’s me sir,” He said it as if he was a genin talking to his sensei for the first time. He fought down a sigh. Even Koharu and Homura seemed disappointed by his lack of energy. Kagami watched Danzo open his mouth, and then shut it again.

“So you’re the Sarutobi eh?” A woman with a battle-hardened face stepped forward to stand besides the proxy, her hair in a neat top-knot the framed her sharp features, and a long scar on her lip. She was a Senju, he knew that much, from seeing her with his senseis but beyond that he didn’t know her. Hiruzen nodded stiffly. Her hands were on her hips as she walked over to him. 

“You’ll do fine. I trust Tobirama’s judgement.” 

Mito stiffened beside him. “Her name’s Toka. She’s was Tobirama’s and my husband’s cousin, and she’s another advisor.” Kagami forced his expression to stay the same as the information was relayed to him. “She’s going to be a hardliner for Tobirama’s ideologies. They were very close. Be aware.” It was becoming abundantly clear that besides Mito he had no friends here. Hiruzen was easily influenced. He chewed the inside of his cheek, every rumor that the clan was disliked to the highest level was true, and though he knew Tobirama had his biases, realizing exactly how widespread that bias was was difficult to swallow. His presence here being necessary was confirmed, and he wasn’t leaving till he had an advisory position. He wanted to protect the village, but he was going to protect the clan as well. He’d long committed himself to being that compromise, but moment by moment it seemed such a job became a heavier and heavier weight around his neck. 

“Hmmm. Well, you were a student of Lord Second. So it seems fine to me.” The proxy fanned himself and yawned. “Any objections?” The room was silent, but again he caught Danzo shifting irritably out of the corner of his eye. Surely he didn’t have complaints about his best friend becoming Hokage? He had the golden goose, and yet the teen looked unsatisfied. “Goody!” The man shut his fan, clasping his hands together in joy before pointing it dramatically at Hiruzen.

“Then I, who am representing the Daimyo and therefore the entire land of fire, declare you the Third Hokage!” 

The group’s applause was rigid and mechanical, he didn’t even notice his hands moving until the man moved his fan to silence them. “Toka and Mito will be your advisors, they were close to the previous Kage and have valuable experience, you may delegate your work as you please. Now, I will leave you to uh,” He glanced at the brunette beside him. “I’m Toka.” The Senju grunted, making no effort to hide her irritability. “Right.” The man seemed oblivious or uncaring to her anger. Kagami was struck, someone with no abilities being so blasé to such a powerful shinobi, he simply couldn’t imagine what kind of wealth they had at their disposal to protect them. “Mmm, She’ll help you delegate jobs now, I’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow, I expect great things from you! Bye bye now!” Kagami was in shock at how fast it all happened. Hiruzen was now officially Hokage. The proxy was already halfway out the door, and the few men in the room were standing up, waiting to file out behind him. 

It seemed as if Hiruzen was struggling to say something throughout the proxy’s speech. “Wait!” He finally managed. The daimyo’s proxy turned, obviously annoyed. “Mmm?” The man’s eyebrows were raised. “I want my team to stay on with me, I need them, at least until I get the hang of things.” The man rolled his eyes, tapping his fan against his silken sleeve. “Yes that’s fine, you can delegate jobs however you please, you’re the Hokage now.” He emphasized the word Hokage in a patronizing tone, and with that the man exited the room.

“Now. I know everyone’s so very tired, and you need time to recover and mourn,” She said this, the same way Tobirama would, with a hint of mockery to her speech, as if mourning her late cousin was a complete waste of time. He was already exhausted, from being here, the joy of getting what he wanted immediately being tempered by the fact he was going to be surrounded by all of this, constantly. Toka circled the room once more, predatorily, before slamming her hands onto the table. Kagami had prepared for this, and had forced himself to have no reaction, but he couldn’t help but smirk at the way Homura jumped. “But. We need to decide some thing’s right away,” She snapped her fingers, and the man in the boar mask, their lovely new friend and escort this evening they just couldn’t seem to escape appeared suddenly behind her. He was clutching a black file. It read classified on the side in small, neat crowded letters, the ink a pretty silver. It was Tobirama’s handwriting. 

“Tobirama ran the Anbu. He didn’t trust anyone else with it. Not even me. You need to decide if you want to keep that precedent or you want to delegate it to one of us.” She grinned, the scar on her lip stretching grotesquely. “I recommend myself. Mito was shaking her head. “It should be the Hokage. If we’re going to keep such an organization at all.” She said, disgust apparent in her tone. Her eyes had landed on Kagami as she said it, shaking her head. The other woman rolled her eyes, slamming the file in front of Hiruzen. The teen took it gingerly, opening the file and looking over the contents. Each line seemed to trouble the Sarutobi more, his frown deepening and eyebrows knitting together. Danzo was looking over his shoulder, and his reaction seemed to be the opposite, every line making him smile wider, until he looked actually giddy. Kagami felt his stomach flip at the site. He needed to see that file, because something was very wrong based on the reaction’s in the room. 

“I-“ “I’ll do it.” Danzo said suddenly. “Delegate it to me, I can handle this.” He said firmly. Toka looked at Danzo incredulously. “You have no experience with such matters.” Danzo immediately snapped at the Senju without warning. “I was born to do this. Tobirama left this for me.” He slammed his fist onto the table emphatically. “I am Hiruzen’s shadow, I carry my sensei’s will, and you know nothing about such matters.” The woman seemed genuinely shocked at the reply. As did everyone else in the room. 

“If you’re confident my friend, I leave it to you.” Hiruzen said finally, after moments of incredibly uncomfortable silence.

“You won’t be disappointed,” Danzo promised, snatching the file and clutching it to his chest, a wild smile on his face. Kagami’s heart sunk, watching the man in the boar mask bow deeply in the disagreeable teenager’s direction. He turned his head suddenly. “Next time...” Danzo drew out each word, as if each one brought him great pleasure. “...you will kneel.” Danzo finished with a sadistic smile, hand stroking the back of the file.

“Understood.” The man replied.

Toka shook her head, as if she was trying to get her bearings back. “The rest. You want them to stay on as advisors?” She questioned, suddenly zeroing in her gaze onto him. Hiruzen nodded immediately. “Yes. They understood Tobirama and his will. Kagami was even a student of Hashirama as well.” Hiruzen gestured at him, as if trying to push some item’s to a particularly hard sell. 

“We haven’t had a Uchiha as an advisor here since Madara was to Hashirama, and he was a mad man towards the end.” She stated bluntly. She turned her gaze back to Hiruzen. “Is he trustworthy?” Danzo smirked. Koharu looked as if she had something to say. A winning endorsement Kagami was sure. Hiruzen shifted nervously under her gaze. 

“Kagami was a student of Hashirama, and then Tobirama. If any of these shinobi has the experience to be here, it’s most certainly him.” Mito interjected.

He cleared his throat. He wasn’t going to allow them to speak as if he wasn’t there, and as much as he appreciated Mito coming to bat for him, he wasn’t going to let her fight his battles either. “It’s true I was The First and Second’s student, and the clan would appreciate me being here. They’ve been fearful ever since Tobirama became Hokage.” 

Toka waved her hand dismissively. “A Senju is no longer Hokage, they have what they wanted.” Kagami felt a shock of anger run through him. They were supposed to feel happy another clan was picked over them? It was obvious too, they were picking someone young and malleable, so their positions and politics would be fine. He pushed himself up to stand. “They wonder about their place in a village that so blatantly hates them for a clanhead they turned away now over a decade ago. For rumors. They’re restless.” He snapped back at the woman. He had grown up in Madara’s shadow, they all had, and it felt as if he’d been atoning for another man’s actions his entire life. He didn’t realize he was shaking until he glanced down at his hands. He looked around the room. Mito eyed him sympathetically. Danzo looked disgusted, Koharu and Homura seemed to mirror that. Hiruzen looked utterly lost, and Toka slightly amused.

“Is that a threat?” She murmured, her dark eye’s glinting. 

“I’m stating what’s happening.”

“We’re well aware what’s happening among your people.” She countered coldly. He refused to let himself think too deeply about that implication of those words at the moment. When he had his position secured he could question and worry.

“Then why wouldn’t you want them appeased? There can be balance between the Uchiha and the rest of the village,” he said, again glancing around the room and realizing he was losing the new Kage. He forced his voice back into pleasant neutrality, and then smiled. “There must be. I can do that for you.” Hiruzen finally spoke up. “Well I think that sounds good.” Toka sighed, throwing her hands up. 

“Fine. Be here tomorrow. All of you. This ceremony is very important, and we like the advisors to stand behind him, besides, your training with me starts tomorrow.”

With that she too walked out the door. Mito pulled him into a hug the moment she left. “You did so well!” Kagami nodded shyly, as much as he kept telling himself he must distance himself from his youth, he still felt like he was somewhere, uncomfortably lodged between a child and an adult. From across the room he could see Hiruzen and the other three huddled in a corner. He could feel Danzo’s hateful gaze even from this distance. “I should go congratulate him again before I go home” He murmured apologetically to the the Uzumaki. “No go,” She murmured, smoothing her hands over his dirty, pretty much destroyed uniform. A useless but kind, motherly gesture. “You’ve had a crazy past few days I’m sure.”

He nodded, the tiredness suddenly acknowledged, seeping into his bones. He hadn’t slept since before going on the mission. Tobirama had died only a day and a half ago. The war had ended just hours ago. Yet all that seemed like years past from where he was now. He ran his hand through his hair, walking over to his peers. “Congratulations again Hiruzen,” He said, shaking his hand. Hiruzen nodded gratefully. Danzo snorted and leaned towards him. 

“You and the jinchuriki better not get too comfortable, because you’re not staying here. Not in my administration.” He hissed, just low enough Hiruzen wouldn’t hear.

“I miss when you were in a genjutsu,” he said with a soft laugh lightly swatting the man away, as he was too tired to fight with Danzo anymore tonight. Danzo actually frowned suddenly at that, as if remembering something he disliked.

He looked away, and he could hear the other boy grinding his teeth. “I apologize. For attacking you.” He spat out. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.” He continued, his voice barely a whisper. It was a terrible apology, but it was the first he’d ever heard from Danzo since Hashirama died. He was about to ask the man to repeat himself when Hiruzen slapped a hand on his shoulder. 

“I told you I’d handle it!” 

He was smiling proudly. Kagami realized Hiruzen unironically counted that miserable little apology as “handling it” for him. He sighed, nodding and thanking him before walking towards the doorway, finding his way outside as quickly as possible. The minute he was outside he slouched forward. He was happy to be away from everyone’s prying eyes, and was moving towards the compound at a slow gait. He made no attempt to silence his footfalls, but they seemed muted anyway. 

As much as he missed his mother, he almost didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to speak to the clanhead tomorrow, though he knew he’d have to. He didn’t want a meeting called, and all their eyes on him, though it would certainly happen. They would air their concerns and expectations of him, and he would overnight go from a respected prodigy within the clan, to someone who’s position within the clan might even rival the clanheads in importance. It all was so heavy, so many responsibilities and burdens weighing him down, it seemed day by day another weight was added. He longed for simpler times, a child surrounded by adults excited by the concept of togetherness and peace. Such days were long past. The honeymoon phase of the village’s establishment were over, and even Hashirama’s stalwart drive towards peace had been unable to stop yet another war. He wondered if Hashirama would approve of where the village was going, looking towards the twinkling, distant stars. 

Kagami could finally see the outline of the compound in the distance, and felt a chill. There was so much that was going to occur in the coming days, and all he wanted to do was sleep. For a day or two or twelve ideally. He kept his head down as he turned from the direction of the compound, and towards the Naka, his desire to be alone with his thoughts for a few moments outweighing his desire to be home. He couldn’t chance seeing someone important, and having to slip into a different skin yet again tonight. It was likely the last irresponsible decision he was ever going to be allowed to make, so he’d indulge himself. 

He sped up, hearing the gurgling of the river, completely black to the eye at this time of night. The river had been here long before such political issues had sprung up, and would be there long after. The space by the river had been allotted as a training grown for the Uchiha when they first established the village, but even before that, the Uchiha had lived close to it. His mother had told him as a child she had not been allowed near it, as the river had been the border between Senju and Uchiha land. It conjured up images of him and her walking along it when he was a small child, her stepping tentatively and asking for him to be careful, to not go out of her sight, as if she expected enemy shinobi to pop out on the other side at any time. 

He lay back against a particularly thick tree. He used to think of clinging to an old fear like that as foolish, as the enemies seemed long gone. The Senju had even given up their clan’s compound, Hashirama declaring they should marry whoever and live wherever they pleased. In a few generations their rival clan’s bloodline traits would dilute and then disappear completely. It had been a radical move from an idealistic man. No matter how old he had gotten he hadn’t become jaded, and Kagami would try to be the same. Even if he couldn’t be like Hashirama, he’d find a way to believe in the future. Even if he was exhausted, and constantly surrounded by people who hated him, he’d keep pushing for that idealistic future. Even if it killed him in the end like it had his sensei. Kagami closed his eyes. He had a big day tomorrow, one with a future he’d have to carry forward. He let the sleep his body so desired wash over him, the constant gurgling river lulling him into a fitful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it’s touka in English oh well it’s Toka rn sjsjnsnss


End file.
